June vital as big dry threatens wheat farmers

Page Tools

The drought is expected to result in lower wheat output this
year, but firmer predictions are still weeks away, according to the
chief commodities forecaster.

In a preview of its June crop commodities reports yesterday, the
Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics gave some
preliminary forecasts to a Senate committee.

With the window for crop planting closing fast in
drought-stricken eastern Australia, ABARE executive director Brian
Fisher said the forecaster was still firming up its assessment of
the effects the big dry could have on the winter grain crop.
"Neither farmers nor I know exactly what's going to happen with the
weather," Dr Fisher said.

"We will have better information as we move into early June
about the likely out-turn for this winter crop. However, at this
stage I would be expecting that we will see less output in
Australia, more pressure on domestic prices, therefore slightly
higher prices but lower output in the case of wheat."